The SSG Big 12 Conference Starting in 2014 the SSG Big 12 Conference has been a primarily a three team battle between SSG Baylor, Oklahoma and Texas. That was until last season when SSG West Virginia crashed the party. The Mountaineers, led by all-conference quarterback Frank Marsh, won a school record 7 conference games before completely outclassing Texas in the title game. Unfortunately, West Virginia’s 10-3 record overall was not good enough to get them into the 4-team playoff and the Mountaineers had to settle for a trip to the Sugar Bowl where they lost to Florida 34-32. It was the first time the Big 12 failed to place a team in the playoff.
2018 was a very strange year, and not just because of West Virginia’s emergence. Baylor had a down year – it’s worst in SSG history as the Bears lost 3 conference games- but that was nothing compared to what Oklahoma endured. The Sooners, coming off 3 straight appearances in the Big 12 title game, stumbled their way through an abysmal 2-7 record in conference play to finish dead last, even behind Kansas which has won just 7 Big 12 games in five years. Prior to last season, the Big 12 sent it’s champion to the playoff each of the previous 4 years. Baylor and Oklahoma made two trips each. The 12-2 Bears lost to Clemson in the 2014 semi-finals but got their revenge on the Tigers 3 years later, beating Clemson 24-22 in the semi-finals before falling 30-17 to unbeaten UCF in the 2017 National Title game. Baylor finished 13-2 that season. Oklahoma would also have a 13-2 season and reach the title game. That was in 2016 when the Sooners beat Texas A&M in the semi-finals only to lose a tough one 46-42 to unbeaten Ohio State in the National Championship. 2016 was the second straight trip to the playoffs for Oklahoma as the Sooners lost a shoot-out 56-51 to Louisville in 2015 semi-final game. Here are the all-time SSG Big 12 Conference standings as well as the results of the 5 conference titles games that have been played.
Next up is the SSG Big Ten Conference.